FicWad

This is dedicated to one of my classmates who was tragically killed this week. We will all miss you. I know I will never, ever forget you. Keep smiling......




Stephanie was grateful that Ray's phone rang when it did. As he answered, she lept up off the bed and scurried off to find her mother. "Steph!" Ray called after her, but she didn't stop. She took the stairs two by two and found her mother still in the kitchen. "Oh, hey honey." Mrs. Toro smiled warmly. "He heard me Mom. He overheard me talking to Mikey about the baby." Mrs. Toro sort of gasped. "So he knows?" Steph shook her head. "He asked me about it, but his phone rang before I had time to answer. I came right down here."

Mrs. Toro gave her daughter a disapproving look. "I know, I'm going to tell him. At least the truth about the baby. I'm not going to mention...Gerard. Not just yet." She said saying his name in a hushed voice.

"That's a first step, sweetie."

Stephanie nodded, "Besides. He's acting so weird. I don't know. Things might not work out between us after all."

Mrs. Toro's heart went out to her daughter, she seemed to be having such a rough time. "Just remember Stephie, Gerard had been through so much in the past couple of years. He probably just needs time to get used to all this. I don't think he's the sort of man to abandon his child. If he was, I'd tell your brother myself. Let him loose. He's confused honey, that's all..."

"I'm pregnant with his child Mom. I'm confused too. On top of that, I never hide anything from Ray. I don't know..I just..."

Their conversation was cut short when Ray showed up in the door frame. He sighed.

"Ok, what in the hell is going on Stephanie?"

Steph cast her eyes at their mother, who nodded, encouraging her. Stephanie cleared her throat, but she still felt like she was suffocating. She stared down at her feet.

"Well?..." Ray prodded, arms folded across his chest. Steph looked back up at her brother, eyes brimming with tears. She let out a forced chuckle.

"Congratulations. you're going to be an uncle..."


Later on, after dinner, Mikey tried to talk to his brother. He found him down in his old basement room, the air filled with smoke. He coughed, stumbling his way over to the couch.

"You coming home with us, or you waiting for Steph?" He asked Gerard cautiously.

"I don't think so. I might stay here tonight." Gerard answered matter of factly. He toyed with the wrapping on his newest Star Wars figurine and pretending to be intersted in the tv.

Mikey sighed. "Why are you doing this? Is this about that bullshit you were talking in the car this morning? Cause if it is, I'm pretty sure every new father has those same thoughts."

Gerard scoffed. "Just because you spend so much of your time with endless psycho-therapists, doesn't mean you automatically get to use their retarded babble on me baby brother." Mikey rolled his eyes.

"I don't even know why I try with you. Damn it. Stephanie loves you, you fucking idiot. But go ahead and fuck up your chance witih her. Just like everything else. And for your fucking information, there's only one therapist I see now. Fuck you."

He stood up to leave, but Gerard grabbed the end of his jacket. "I'm sorry." Was all he said.
Mikey nodded.

"Just...Talk to her. That's all the sorry I'll need." He said and left him alone with his thoughts.

Gerard lit another marlboro, and then immediately put the flame back out. Tossing the cigarette on the end table, he grabbed the telephone.

She was crying when she answered. "Steph?" He asked.

"I've been calling you all day Gerard. Why are you avoiding me?"

He paused for a minute.
"You know what? I'm sorry honey, I swear, I was an asshole. Now tell me what's wrong." He hated to hear her so upset.

"I told him. He knows... Ray knows."

Gerard let the phone drop from his ear.